LED aircraft anticollision beacon

A method for providing an anticollision beacon comprising:

• providing a thermally conductive support, said support having a base portion and a central post portion defining a faceted exterior surface;
• providing a plurality of substantially identical LED arrays, each of said arrays comprising:
• a thermally transmissive PC board with a substantially planar rear surface complementary in configuration to each facet of said exterior surface;
• and
• a plurality of LEDs mounted to a front surface of said PC board in thermally conductive relationship to said PC board;
• providing a plurality of reflectors defining a pattern of openings coinciding with the LEDs of at least one of said arrays and reflecting surfaces adjacent said openings;
• arranging one said array on each of said facets with said rear surface in thermally conductive relationship to said central post portion;
• and
• securing a plurality of reflectors over said arrays with said LEDs aligned with said openings such that said PC boards are intermediate said reflector and said support and light from said LEDs is incident upon said reflecting surfaces.

An anticollision beacon comprising:

• a thermally conductive support having an exterior surface including a plurality of substantially planar faces symmetrically arranged about a central axis;
• an array of LEDs mounted in thermally conductive relationship to each of said faces, each of said LEDs having an optical axis and a light radiation pattern surrounding said optical axis;
• a plurality of reflectors secured to said support, each of said reflectors defining a plurality of openings aligned with the LEDs of at least one array and including a reflecting surface, one of said LEDs being received in each of said openings;
• and
• a circuit for providing electrical current to energize said LEDs,
• wherein said LEDs emit light when energized, said light including axially close light having a trajectory at an angular displacement from said optical axis of less than 20° and axially remote light having a trajectory at an angular displacement from said optical axis of greater than 20°, a portion of said axially remote light being redirected by said reflecting surface to a trajectory substantially parallel to a plane including the optical axes of said LEDs.